This invention relates to belt driven systems and, more particularly, to a belt locator used in appliances such as electrical dryers to properly position a belt on a pulley and maintain it there. While the invention is disclosed with particular reference to such application, those skilled in the art will recognize the wider applicability of the inventive properties disclosed hereinafter.
In the manufacture of certain electrical appliances such as clothes dryers, the machine assembly operator is required to blindly install a drive belt for the dryer. The dryer conventionally uses a belt and pulley system for turning the clothes drying drum of the appliance. An electric motor used to turn the pulley often is so located in the dryer housing that the assembler cannot see the pulley and hence has to install the belt on it by feel. As a result, the belt may be mistakenly installed on the top edge of the pulley or on a hub ring, or the motor shaft. In these situations, the resulting belt tension is improper, which reduces the life of the belt and necessitates more frequency replacement. Or, the belt may be abraded during operation of the pulley, causing the same result. In addition, even if the belt is correctly installed initially, it may become displaced at some later time; due, for example, to vibration, or to appliance maintenance by field personnel. In such instances, it is advantageous to be able to properly reposition the belt in order to avoid the consequences noted above.